Automatic procedure for sewing pre-ironed patch-pockets

Abstract: This invention concerns an automatic procedure and machine necessary to realize the same, for sewing pre-ironed patch pockets. The procedure in question involves the manual application of the pocket on the clothing item in question as another previously applied pocket is sewn, and the automatic lateral unloading of the clothing item upon completion of sewing. The machine performing the working procedure according to the invention involves the use of two innovative devices: one for automatically feeding the sewing station and the other for the lateral unloading of the item sewn at the sewing station.

Description: This invention concerns an automatic procedure for sewing pre-ironed patch pockets. Pre-ironed patch pockets are currently applied by means of special sewing machines that automatically sew the pocket on to the clothing item in question, such as the relevant section of pants, a shirt or a jacket. These machines are characterized by a double clip under the sewing head, mounted on a trolley that moves along two orthogonal axes. Said double clip consists of a fabric-holding plate and a pocket-holding plate operating within the first; more specifically, the larger fabric-holding plate features a wide centre opening conforming perfectly to the shape of the pocket to be applied on the fabric. The shape of the pocket-holding plate is similar to that of said opening, but smaller so as to house within the same allowing a space along the perimeter along which the needle moves during sewing. Said double clip is designed firstly to hold the pocket and clothing fabric separately above the sewing surface and secondly to pull the pocket and clothing item together along a closed curved line, coinciding with the sewing line. In this type of sewing machine, the clothing item and the pocket are loaded manually by the operator. In particular the operating cycle includes the following phases: A) Manual loading of the clothing item under the sewing head and under the raised double clip; B) Lowering by the operator of the fabric-holder plate; C) Manual positioning of the pocket in the centring opening of the fabric-holding plate; D) Lowering by the operator of the pocket-holder plate; E) Starting by the operator of the sewing phase followed by the automatic unloading of the sewn clothing item that is lifted and stacked in front of the sewing machine, just in front of the sewing station. Some sewing machine models feature an automatic device for loading the clothing item; this device consists essentially of a special clip that lifts the clothing item from a storage station and transfers the same under the fabric-holder plate which then lowers automatically on the fabric when this is released by the carrying clip. Even in these cases, the pockets are loaded manually by the operator who first places the pocket into the centring opening on the fabric-holder plate and then lowers the latter, and starts sewing. The US patent 4493276 describes a patch pocket sewing machine whereby the pockets are loaded on a template positioned next to and at the back of the sewing head which transfers the "pocket + garment" under a pocket setter unit positioned adjacent to the sewing head. This pocket setter unit first folds the pocket edges under the above template and then transfers the "pocket + garment" under the sewing head. Here again it is not however possible to load another pair of pants under the template until the pocket edges have been folded and until the pocket with folded edges has been sewn by the sewing head. The reason for this is that this unit occupies, both during the pocket edge folding stage and the pocket sewing stage, the section of the working table on which the operator spreads the new pair of pants. This means that although the operator may load another pocket on the template while the previous pocket is sewn, he or she can not however load another pair of pants under the template until the previously loaded pocket has been sewn. The purpose of this invention is to design an industrial operating procedure whereby the manual application of the pocket on the clothing item occurs during the sewing phase of another previously applied pocket so as to reduce the duration of each operating cycle. This objective has been achieved by applying the pocket onto the clothing item before the latter is under the above double clip. In other words, the procedure according to the invention is characterized in that the clothing item arrives under the sewing station together with the pocket previously positioned above the same at the correct application point. In order to further reduce the duration of the operating cycle, the procedure according to the invention includes the automatic lateral unloading of the sewn clothing item, which is unloaded by the machine next to the same on the side opposite to that from which the pocket is applied above the clothing item, rather than in front of the machine as in the case of current machines. This feature makes it possible to clear the sewing station very quickly after sewing and eliminates the dead times required to replace the sewn clothing item with another clothing item. The machine that performs the operating procedure according to the invention involves the innovative use, with respect to above current machines, of two new devices: one for automatically feeding the clothing item to the sewing station and another for the lateral unloading of the clothing item sewn at the sewing station. The first device, in other words, the device for feeding the sewing station consists of a mobile fabric-holder clip that holds the clothing item above the sewing surface and moves it along said surface until the item is under the sewing station. Said clip consists of a plate having a centre opening conforming perfectly to the shape of the pocket, which is placed into said centring opening by the operator when the fabric is pressed under said clip. The second device, in other words, the device for unloading the sewn clothing item on the side of the machine, consists of a trolley featuring clamping and pulling mechanisms, sliding along a pair of horizontal support and guiding bars, placed on one of the sides of the sewing station, opposite to the pocket application station. For major clarity the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense where: fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine for performing the operating procedure according to the invention. fig. 2 is a close up of the feeding and unloading devices of the sewing station. With reference to the above drawings, the machine in question consists conventionally of a sewing head (1) and a double motor driven clip (2) consisting of a pocket-holder plate (2a) and a fabric-holder plate (2b). The machine according to the invention is characterized by a device (4) for the automatic feeding of the clothing items to the sewing station and by a a device (5) for the automatic lateral unloading of the clothing item sewn at the sewing station. Device (4) consists of a fabric-holder plate (4a) supported by a staggered supporting slide (4b) sliding vertically with respect to a bracket (4c) mounted on the rods (4d) of a pair of pneumatic jacks having a horizontal axis. Said fabric-holder plate (4a) is characterized by a centre opening (4A) whose shape conforms to that of the pocket to be applied. Device (5) consists of a trolley (5a), that is moved by a pneumatic actuator along a horizontal pair of support and guiding bars (5b), supported by a bearing frame (5c) above the sewing surface (6), extending longitudinally on both the sides of the sewing station. Two adjacent pneumatic jacks having a vertical axis are mounted on trolley (5a) while two plates (5d) that hold and pull the clothing item (M) from under the double clip (2) after sewing, are applied under the rods of the pneumatic jacks. The procedure according to the invention consists of the following operating phases: a) manual loading of the clothing item on the work surface (6) under the raised fabric-holder plate (4a); b) lowering by the operator of the fabric-holder plate (4a) over the clothing item; c) manual application of pocket (T) in the centring opening (4A) of the plate (4a); d) start up of the automatic operating cycle which includes the following rapid operating sequences: I) automatic feed of the clothing item to the sewing station; II) automatic clamping in rapid succession first of the pocket and the clothing item and then by plates (2a and 2b) of the double clip (2) operating in the sewing station; III) unloading next to the machine of the clothing item from the sewing station; IV) unloading of the clothing item in front of the working surface (6) by means of a standard automatic unloading and stacking device. It should be noted that once the machine is operating the manual loading of the clothing item (M) on the working surface (6) and the application of pocket (T) occur during the sewing phase of the previously applied pocket, just as the automatic feeding phase of the clothing item to the sewing station occurs as the clothing item is unloaded next to the machine from the sewing station. In particular, as soon as the pocket has been sewn, the double clip (2) rises and devices (4 and 5) are operated simultaneously so that they perform synchronous strokes in the same direction as the trolley (5a) and the fabric-holder plate (4a). This means that while trolley (5a) pulls the clothing item with the sewn pocket away next to the machine, the plate (4a) feeds the sewing station with a new clothing item with pocket pre-positioned at the exact sewing point. Obviously the entire operating procedure is controlled by an electronic programming and control board that receives, processes and transmits all the signals required for correct sequence synchronisation of all the operating phases of the entire operating cycle.

Claims: An automatic procedure for sewing pre-ironed patch pockets consisting of the following operating phases: a) manual loading of the clothing item (M) on the work surface (6) under the fabric-holder plate (4a); b) lowering, by the operator, of the fabric-holder plate (4a) over the clothing item (M); c) manual application of the pocket (T) on the clothing item (M), d) automatic feed of the clothing item (M) with pocket (T) under the sewing head (1 ) provided with a double clip (2) designed to clamp and translate the pocket and clothing item - held against each other - under the sewing head (1); a procedure characterised in that phases a), b) and c) occur during the sewing phase of the previously applied pocket (T); and in that phase d) occurs simultaneously with the phase in which the previous clothing item (M) is removed from under the double clip (2) and transferred along surface (6) to a clothing item (M) unloading station positioned next to the sewing head (1) and on the side opposite to the clothing item (M) loading point. Procedure according to claim 1, characterised in that the operations for removal of the clothing item (M) from under the double clip (2) and transfer of the clothing item (M) on to the work surface (6) and to an unloading station for clothing item (M) are both carried out by a device (5) performing simultaneous runs in the same direction to device (4) designed to transfer the clothing item (M) and the pocket (T) from the loading station to under the sewing head (1).

Inventors: CAMPOLUCCI CARLO, CAMPOLUCCI, CARLO
Applicants: JAM S R L, JAM - S.R.L.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: D05B33
IPC codes: D05B39, D05B33